"The Blue Book says we've got to go out and it doesn't say a damn thing about having to come back." --Captain Patrick Etheridge, USLSS

A compilation of U.S. Life-Saving Service reports, newspaper articles, publications and more related to shipwrecks of the N.C. coast. Does not include ships that were hauled off or otherwise saved.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Bark Casket ~ 14 September 1892

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Services for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893:

Struck on Frying Pan Shoals and was totally wrecked; vessel invisible from station at time of disaster on account of darkness and thick weather. As soon as it cleared up, life saving crew discovered ship’s company approaching shore in a small boat. Met them when two miles offshore and transferred part of the 10 men to surfboat; put a surf man in charge of ship’s boat, then took same in tow and landed all safely through the surf at station, where they were provided with food and dry clothing and cared for until next morning, when they were taken to Southport and furnished transportation to Wilmington. On 17th a boat belonging to the bark came ashore and was secured by life saving crew. Crew of Oak Island station boarded the vessel, but their assistance was not necessary. (See letter of acknowledgement.)

CAPE FEAR STATION, NORTH CAROLINA, September 15, 1892

DEAR SIR: This is to express the gratitude I feel for the services rendered to me and my crew by Captain J.L. Watts and his crew, of the Capt Fear Life Saving Station. My vessel, the British bark Casket, of Guernsey, England, from Huelva, Spain, to Wilmington, North Carolina, west ashore on Frying Pan Shoals, about seven miles south by east from the station at 11:30 p.m. in the evening of the 13th instant, during a heavy southerly wind and squally weather. The weather was very thick when my vessel went ashore, and remained thick until 8 or 9 o’clock the next morning. I could not see land, nor could anyone see my vessel from the land. In a short time after my vessel struck I was compelled to leave her in my boat, as the sea was breaking completely over her and she was going to pieces. When I left, my vessel was full of water. When about two miles from land, I met Captain Watts in his surfboat. He kindly took me in tow, and in a short time landed us safe on the beach abreast of his station. Dry clothing was furnished myself and nine men, and we were kindly cared for until today, when we leave for Wilmington. Very respectfully, RICH. R.C. TOGER, Master of the British Bark Casket

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Judi Heit is a history buff who has been researching shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast since 2010, when Hammond Innes book "Wreck of the Mary Deare" captured her imagination. The Heits live in Oriental, NC ... a fishing village that takes its name from the Steamer Oriental, wrecked off their coast in May 1862.

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